Telematics units within telematics-equipped mobile vehicles provide telematics subscribers with connectivity to a telematics service provider (TSP). The TSP provides telematics subscribers with an array of services ranging from emergency call handling and stolen vehicle recovery to diagnostics monitoring, global navigation system-aided position identification, map services, and turn-by-turn navigation assistance. Telematics units are often provisioned and activated at a point of sale when a telematics subscriber purchases a telematics-equipped vehicle. Upon activation, the telematics unit can be utilized to provide a telematics subscriber with telematics services such as those described herein.
When the ignition of the mobile vehicle is off, a network access device (NAD) of a mobile vehicle's telematics unit can be placed into a discontinuous-reception (DRx) state, where the NAD goes through DRx cycles including periods of availability and unavailability for wireless communications. Placing the NAD into the DRx state while the mobile vehicle ignition is off helps to minimize power drain on the vehicle battery while still preserving the NAD's ability to communicate and carry out commands from the telematics subscriber, the TSP, and/or a wireless network provider.
Thus, while the NAD is in a DRx state, service requests—such as maintenance and diagnostic functions, system updates, vehicle position determination, unlocking of the doors, or vehicle alarm silencing—may be sent to the telematics unit during the portion of a DRx cycle where the NAD is on, and the telematics unit interacts with other respective vehicle hardware components to carry out the requested service. However, because DRx cycles are still consuming power, after a certain amount of time or once the vehicle's battery charge level drops below a certain threshold, the NAD may end the DRx period and switch to an off state where the NAD is unavailable to facilitate communications with the telematics unit and other vehicle hardware.
The above body of information is provided for the convenience of the reader. The foregoing describes a suitable environment for which the described system and method are provided, and is not an attempt to review or catalog the prior art.